SEATTLE — Jan. 7, 2024 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch Cancer Center research findings, patient stories and other news.
January is the awareness month for cervical cancer. Reach out to media@fredhutch.org if you’re looking for experts.
Health equity
Fred Hutch receives funding to advance Indigenous cancer health equity
Fred Hutch’s Lonnie A. Nelson, PhD, Jason Mendoza, MD, MPH, and Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD, were awarded $16.7 million from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) to improve cancer health equity for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. The funding is for projects under the CANOE Partnership (Cancer Awareness, Navigation, Outreach and Equitable Indigenous Health Outcomes), including smoking cessation and lung cancer screening. Fred Hutch and the University of Oklahoma are the first institutions to receive this award from the NIMHD.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, kwynn@fredhutch.org
A charming model: new tool evaluates risk of transplant for older patients
Mohamed Sorror, MD, MSc, presented a new risk assessment model that provides a numerical score to patients over 60, allowing them to determine if a transplant is the best form of treatment. The model was presented at the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) 2024 Annual Meeting. The Composite Health Risk Assessment model, or CHARM, evaluates the risks of mortality for older patients who may benefit from stem cell transplants. According to Sorror, this new model can inform older patients about their risks of transplant-related problems to help evaluate treatment options and improve care.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Multi-center study shows education level, income impact access to stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia patients
New research by Fred Hutch indicates that patients with acute myeloid leukemia who have lower educational attainment and lower income are less likely to receive a stem cell transplant. However, if they do receive transplant, these factors have less of an impact on their post-transplant outcomes. According to senior author Mohamed Sorror, MD, MSc, focusing on financial barriers and improving health literacy and support systems will improve access to treatments. Natalie Wuliji, DO, co-author, presented the study at a plenary during ASH 2024.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Identifying cancer risk
Now’s the time to discuss family health history
A new year means new annual check-ups, and genetic counselor Kari Thorsen, MS, CGC, recommends discussing your family health history. If you have a history of cancer in your family, genetic testing is the next step. Since cancers and diseases can run in families, genetic testing identifies inherited cancer risk, allowing families to make more informed choices about their health. Thorsen answers commonly asked questions about genetic counselors and the process of genetic testing.
Media contact: media@fredhutch.org
Polygenic risk scores and prostate cancer
Research from Burcu Darst, PhD, and scientists from the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS) shows that polygenic risk scores may be used to identify which forms of prostate cancers will become aggressive. Polygenic risk scores are determined by identifying the mutations associated with a cancer risk, then analyzing individual patient “scores” to determine who is at a higher risk. According to Darst, these findings will allow some patients to de-intensify their surveillance, which can include multiple biopsies, blood draws and MRIs.
Media contact: Kat Wynn, kwynn@fredhutch.org
Cancer research
Blocking a cancer escape hatch
Adam Nguyen, a graduate student in the Basic Sciences Division, has won a F31 training award from the National Institutes of Health to study a protein complex involved in separating blood from surrounding tissue. The complex, called Tie2, is active in cells in the inner surface of blood vessels. When Tie2 malfunctions, it allows cancer cells to metastasize to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Nguyen will use electron microscopy to visualize the molecule’s structure and locate an effective area for a potential drug.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Cracking the sparkle code
Cancer cell biologist Christina Termini, PhD, MM, won a $600,000, three-year award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research to study how protein production affects treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is the deadliest form of blood cancer. In AML, dysregulation in protein production can cause chemotherapy resistance, enabling tumor cells to survive and relapse. Termini’s project aims to identify which protein combinations cause this resistance. The findings could lead to possibilities for drug development.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Breast cancer
What’s new in breast cancer research? SABCS24 looks at ctDNA, AI and ‘right-sizing’ treatment
At the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), Sara Hurvitz, MD, senior vice president of the Clinical Research Division, presented data showing that the drug palbociclib can add 15 months of progression-free survival to patients with metastatic breast cancer. Hurvitz’s clinical focus is managing breast cancer, including early and late-stage disease. She has contributed to clinical research which has led to novel therapies against HER2 estrogen receptor positive and triple negative breast cancer. Hurvitz holds the Smith Family Endowed Chair in Women’s Health.
Media contact: Heather Platisha, hplatisha@fredhutch.org
Cancer immunotherapy
Fred Hutch research shines at national oncology conference
Fred Hutch researchers shared their latest findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) in November. SITC focuses exclusively on cancer immunotherapy, the science of using the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Lawrence Fong, MD, scientific director for Fred Hutch's Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center (IIRC) and the Bezos Family Distinguished Scholar in Immunotherapy, and his lab presented insights into how solid tumors change their microenvironment to resist therapies. Fong was elected to the SITC board of directors in 2024.
Media contact: Molly McElroy, mwmcelro@fredhutch.org
Infectious diseases
‘Action and progress link our globe’
In December, Daniel Driffin, PhD, MPH, gave opening remarks at the 2024 White House World AIDS Day event. The event recognized the tireless work from researchers and activists that have transformed HIV from a near-certain death sentence to a chronic, manageable condition. Driffin is the co-creator of the Young Black Gay Men’s Leadership Initiative (ended in 2017) and THRIVE Support Services, aimed at developing support and leadership for people impacted by HIV, and an external relations project manager for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, based at Fred Hutch.
Media contact: Claire Hudson, crhudson@fredhutch.org
Patient stories
Travel writer takes an unexpected cancer journey
Travel writer and TV host Rick Steves, 69, recently shared his story of being diagnosed with prostate cancer using a blood test. Steves was treated at Fred Hutch by urologic oncologist and surgeon, Daniel W. Lin, MD, a Fred Hutch physician and chief of UW Medicine’s urologic oncology program and holder of the Pritt Family Endowed Chair in Prostate Cancer Research. Steves wants to use his celebrity status to encourage other men to talk with their doctors about cancer screening. “Don’t wait for symptoms,” he advised.
Media contact: media@fredhutch.org
Science spotlight
Science Spotlight is a monthly installment of articles written by postdoctoral fellows that summarizes new research papers from Fred Hutch scientists. If you’re interested in learning more or covering these topics, contact media@fredhutch.org
- Revaccination beliefs and behaviors in transplant survivors
- Diaper deposits are decoding our earliest microbiomes
- Creating a roadmap for refugee health research in North America
- Towards accessible gene therapy: in vivo base editing to cure Sickle Cell Disease
- New tools in the pipeline for treating immune cell disorders
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Fred Hutch Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.
Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.